I was watching a YouTube video about how chronic pain changes brain chemistry causing negativity and pessimism which got me thinking that I’ve been in a very low frequency lately. I need to shift my energy otherwise I’m going to stay stuck. Ways to move to a higher frequency: exercise, eating healthy, positive thinking, being creative, showering, sleeping well, and having a game plan each day. I’ve realized it’s better to slow down and do things right, or even take the day off, than to force myself to do something and then it gets done wrong. Well, not wrong, just not exactly right.

Once I get an idea, I’m super enthralled figuring out the details. I found a list of book fairs and festivals organized by state. I’ve been looking at them to see which ones are possibilities. I’d like to do at least five book fairs next year. So far, Dayton, Ohio, for sure. Probably the Bay Area again because it was fun. I like experiencing the vibes of cool cities. These would be Brooklyn, Portland, or Tucson. The book fairs within driving distance (always a plus!) are Bowling Green, Kentucky and Chicago, Illinois. There’s also one in Honolulu, Hawaii in April. I’m going to keep track of the dates and registration deadlines.

I remembered an idea that I had awhile back. Take a book and some business cards to the oncology and radiation offices where I had my treatment. Are there any cancer support groups in my area? I also want to see if HPB will carry my book. I checked my sales on Createspace and Kindle. I don’t do that very often because a) that’s not why I wrote it and b) it can be depressing to see no sales. I haven’t been putting much effort into marketing, and yet I’ve already sold four books this month. I have no idea who bought them. If you’re reading this, thank you! I hope you find comfort and inspiration. 🙂

I sent my mom a text about the sales, and I joked, “I’m rich now!” Then I realized, being rich isn’t about having a lot of money. Being rich is having love and passion and dreams and things that can’t be bought. There’s an Annie Lennox song, the lyrics go, “Money can’t buy it, sex can’t buy it, you can’t buy it. I believe that love alone might do these things for you.” I think part of the negativity came from being angry at myself for not being further along, feeling left behind, and not pushing myself harder. Anger is just love disappointed. Anger has a fast energy, sadness has a slow energy. I don’t want either of them. Negative emotions bog me down. I want to feel happy and free.

What have I accomplished this week? I got the story written for Cure Magazine. Hopefully, they’ll publish it on their website with the other stories. I ended up telling the bee story which correlates well with my thoughts about getting treatment. It was good practice and easy to write which makes me think it was meant to be written. I have a few more exciting plans up my sleeve, one is in November, the other is in May. They’re more like vacation/astrology/spiritual/yoga type things. We’ll see if they fall into place. My mom is encouraging me so that’s good. Even though I like my alone time, she knows that I’m happier when I’m out mixing with people.

More questions to ponder:

Am I being productive or hiding out?

What makes me happy to be alive?

How can I be of service to others?

🙂 Have a great weekend and week 🙂

Julie